Normandy luxury self-drive tour

Following your Eurostar journey to Paris, collect your hire car and transfer to Château La Chenevière, Normandy – your hotel for the duration of this holiday. The restored 18th-century property is set on the coast between the historic landing beaches and the equally historic commune of Bayeux; it makes for a sublime introduction to this storied region. Settle in ahead of your first excursion tomorrow, when cider is the tipple de jour.

Spend today in the picturesque Normandy countryside as you follow the famous Cider Route. This region is home to numerous speciality cider, calvados and pommeau producers. Pause in the village of Beuvron-en-Auge, often lauded as France’s prettiest village thanks to its half-timber houses and delightful cobbled streets. Enjoy lunch at leisure here, before continuing your journey through the countryside. This afternoon, relax back at your hotel.

Begin today in the charming valley of the Touques river, where plump-appled orchards border wood-steepled churches. Visit the medieval town of Lisieux, whose centrepiece is Sainte Thérèse Basilica – hallowed destination of many a pilgrimage. After lunch, explore the seaside town of Deauville, host to the American Film Festival, before taking the coastal road to Honfleur, known as the ‘jewel of Normandy’. Walk along the town’s cobbled streets and marvel at the medieval buildings that so inspired Claude Monet and Eugene Boudin. Finish the day with a visit to Sainte-Catherine’s, the largest wooden church in France.

Visit one of France's most recognisable landmarks, Mont-Saint-Michel, a village perched on a tidal island in the mouth of the River Couesnon. Surrounded by water and sand flats, this granite outcrop is crowned by an abbey that took more than 500 years to construct; legend has it that archangel Michael inspired the bishop of Avranches to build it back in 708 AD. Explore the narrow, cobblestone streets and climb more than 350 steps to reach it. Time permitting, you may wish to visit another town in the area, such as Saint-Lô, Avranches or Villedieu-Les-Poêles. 

Today, delve into Normandy’s dramatic World War II history with a tour of its D Day sites. Visit Sword Beach, the furthest east of the D Day landing beaches and strategically important due to its proximately to Caen. Continue to the memorial at the famous Pegasus bridge, where the first liberators to arrive in Normandy crash landed by glider under the cover of darkness, before securing this vitally important bridgehead. Enjoy lunch at leisure before you continue with a visit to the Juno Beach Centre museum.

Spend the day discovering two towns just inland from the Normandy coast. Caen is reputed for its buildings constructed during the rule of William the Conqueror. Admire the town’s two Romanesque abbeys, which are fine examples of this architecture. Much of the city was badly damaged during the fight for liberation in 1944, making the Mémorial de Caen museum a poignant place to reflect on the conflicts of the 20th century. After lunch, head to the medieval town of Bayeux, where you can see the famous Bayeux Tapestry, a 70-metre embroidered cloth depicting the Norman conquest of England in 1066.

Having soaked up its history, sampled its delicacies and admired its picture-postcard landscapes, bid a fond farewell to Normandy. Depart for Paris, where you will catch the Eurostar back to London.